Danger Stranger
Visions

Warning(s):  Family fluff; talk of sexual situations or death.

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Bryce had sent a message to the rest of his little grouping, letting them know he was going into the kitchen to make breakfast. He was doing that when Rocket came into the kitchen, a somewhat bigger Groot following along behind him.

"I am Groot."

"Yeah. It does smell good," Rocket agreed. "You got enough there? This one's hungry." He gestured towards Groot.

Bryce smiled. "I think you'll find there's plenty of food." He began to put it onto plates.

En Dwi walked in a few seconds later, arguing with Taneleer. "If the barrier between dimensions is thinning, it could be signs of a deeper problem...."

"Or it could be a natural circumstance that just hasn't been noticed previously because most societies were too primitive to figure it out," Taneleer responded.

Rocket glanced at the two men. "Is this something you've seen before?" the raccoon asked curiously. "There are a lot of theories about other dimensions and other versions of the same universe. I've never met anyone who's experienced it." He paused and considered, before saying, "Until yesterday, of course."

"I am Groot."

Bryce nodded. "If it's possible to travel through space, then yes. It might be possible to travel through other means too."

"I have not... but that doesn't mean it isn't possible..." En Dwi shrugged.

"I have only heard about it, in connection to the Infinity Stones," Taneleer said seriously. "If this is connected...."

"I think I need to take a look at that data Tony was talking about collecting," Rocket stated.

By this point, Bryce had finished preparing the food and began to plate it up for the five of them.

"Do you think you will notice something he hasn't?" Taneleer asked curiously.

"Maybe. Maybe not," Rocket answered. "Either way, there's no harm in looking. He settled at the table, along with Groot and Bryce.

"Sit down," Bryce invited the other two.

Taneleer and En Dwi both sat without thinking on the fact they'd just been 'told' what to do instead of 'asked'. "...Looks good..." En Dwi said, his eyes widening in hunger.

"I am Groot." The satisfied tone in the tree's voice as he ate made it clear he thought it tasted good as well.

"The food here is very different to what's on Asgard, but I've learned to adapt," Bryce commented.

"It is very different... but has enough similarities... I could probably find substitutes for our known foods and spices and make something familiar to us all..." Taneleer said thoughtfully, even as he ate steadily.

Bryce nodded. "If you'd like to do that, I'm sure we will all appreciate it. Sometimes it's nice to have a taste of the familiar."

"I will do that, then... if you have specific requests, please let me know." Taneleer smiled.

"I am Groot," the tree stated.

"He knows you don't eat meat," Rocket said.

"I have some exquisite recipes for vegetables and fruits..." Taneleer nodded at Groot.

"I am Groot," the little tree said happily, before finishing his own food.

"I thought we could go and take a look at the trail closest to the incident that happened yesterday," Bryce said. "Not the dangerous part, but up until that point. In case there might be any visible signs. Or if something might happen again. We can test to see if it's linked to that area in particular."

"Sounds like a fun trip!" En Dwi clapped his hands together and grinned.

"I am Groot!" The little tree's enthusiasm was nearly a match for En Dwi's. "I am Groot?" He looked at Bryce and Rocket.

"Yeah. We'll take snacks with us," Rocket stated.

By this time, they had finished eating and Taneleer began cleaning up, smacking En Dwi on the shoulder to encourage him to help.

En Dwi rolled his eyes and stood to help as well.

With all of them working together, it didn't take long for the breakfast items to be cleared. And then Rocket began packing a bag with snacks and drinks for himself and Groot.

"Shall I carry a bag with water for us?" En Dwi asked the others.

"That would be helpful," Bryce agreed.

Nodding, En Dwi disappeared to his room. When he returned, he had a lightweight bag that he began to place water bottles into.

In the meantime, Bryce began packing snacks for the rest of them, trusting Rocket to carry what was needed for himself and Groot.

"So. How exactly are we examining thus spot?" Taneleer asked.

"I have my equipment," Rocket stated.

"I am Groot."

Bryce nodded. "If anything's changed in the plant life, Groot will be able to sense it."

"Not really sure what I can contribute. Unless there is something to charm and command..." En Dwi grinned.

Tanleer snorted.

Bryce shrugged. "You can think of it as a bonding experience, too," he commented.

"Careful what you wish for?" En Dwi giggled.

Taneleer shook his head. "You assume they are wishing for that..." His tone was teasing, not mean, so he obviously didn't mean it.

"Hey, us odd ones out should stick together," Rocket commented, shouldering his own pack.

"Us odd ones should stick together as well..." En Dwi grinned.

"If you're ready, we can go now," Bryce said.

"I am Groot." Groot indicated he was ready.

Taneleer straightened. "Lead the way. I am still unfamiliar with this area."

En Dwi nodded. "Yeah. What he said."

Bryce nodded and began to lead the way out of the compound. Rocket stuck next to Groot, as he so often did.

They all began walking. Taneleer kept the time in the back of his mind as they trekked, following Bryce. He hadn't lied about not knowing the area, though and he and En Dwi were soon slowing the party down as they discovered new flora and fauna, asking about each item that caught their interest. It was nearly noon when they reached the area Bryce wanted to look at. "What now?" he couldn't help but ask, in a somewhat flummoxed tone.

Bryce answered the questions as best he could, helped along by Rocket and Groot when it came to identifying flora and fauna.

"We check for any out of the ordinary signs that something's happened," Rocket said, taking out one of his scanners.

Taneleer's abilities weren't really suited to an endeavor such as this. The power of prophesy didn't really lend itself to finding out actual data they could use; after all, the future was not set-in stone, so anything he foresaw could be changed with enough effort. Assuming he understood what he saw enough to describe it. Assuming he even saw anything.

En Dwi wasn't much better off. He had a lot of powers that he tended to keep under wraps, because if people didn't know the extent of what you could do, it was easier to fool them and win at whatever game of chance you were playing. Plus... projecting your voice wasn't really useful in this situation.

While Rocket scanned with his instruments and Groot 'spoke' to flora and fauna, Bryce turned fully to face the two other men. "How are you finding life here on Midgard...Earth...so far?" he asked.

"I have not had opportunity to explore outside of the compound, but I have felt welcomed. So... it is tolerable..." Taneleer expressed.

"Seems like it could be a lot of fun if they loosen up a bit more..." En Dwi offered. "Are there any places where we could have games of chance?"

"I believe there are places," Bryce replied. "Though some are safer than others. It's probably best to check any place before visiting."

"Of course! I would want to make certain I knew the rules for the games too. Otherwise, it would be difficult to win..." En Dwi agreed.

"When we go back to the compound, we can look into it," Bryce said.

"I am Groot."

"You're too young to gamble," Rocket replied promptly.

"I learned when I was five seasons old!" En Dwi boasted.

"And that is why you are an addict..." Taneleer commented.

"I am Groot," the little tree stated.

"I don't care," Rocket replied. "You're still too young."

"I can go without any time I choose!" En Dwi protested. "I am not an addict!"

"You tried to bet me this morning on how long it would take us to walk here...  before we even knew where here was!" Taneleer gave his brother an unimpressed look.

En Dwi pouted. "Well, you're the one that said we'd be taking a walk, but you couldn't tell where or when..." he mumbled.

"Well, if we do go on an outing, I think it would be a good idea to set limits," Bryce commented. "For any of us who might be tempted to gamble," he added, wanting to make it clear he wasn't just talking about one of them.

"Limits are no fun..." En Dwi grumbled, but didn't say anything else.

Taneleer sighed. "Normally, I would agree, but the things you bet aren't always the best."

"So, decide what we can afford to lose and don't go past that," Rocket stated.

"And therein lies the problem," Taneleer said drolly. "He thinks nothing is too costly to wager."

"That's not... well... okay. You have a point," En Dwi conceded.

"Which is why the decision will not be made solely by you," Bryce stated firmly.

"Hmm..." En Dwi didn't disagree, but it was clear he didn't take the comment that seriously.

Taneleer had noticed something by this point. "Is that plant typical for this area?"

Rocket moved over to where Taneleer indicated the plant was and scanned it. "Not according to this," he responded.

"It's the only one of its kind growing," Bryce said.

"I am Groot."

"It feels displaced? Like it's not quite where it should be?" Bryce glanced quickly at Groot, who nodded and voiced an affirmation.

"Anything else 'displaced'?" En Dwi asked, glancing around.

"Is the air around it displaced too?" Taneleer attempted to focus on the flower to see if it 'told' him anything.

"Bits and pieces," Rocket reported. "A few blades of grass here and there. Like someone mixed together two different recipes."

"But the air is normal? Like something just picked the flower up and dropped it? Or the air is not normal either?" Taneleer persisted, getting ready to pull Rocket back if the air was also displaced. That would mean a possible portal was still there that could pull them through.

"I am Groot."

Rocket nodded and responded to Taneleer's question. "Whatever displaced the plants, it's not in the air." He eyed the flower speculatively, like he was planning to experiment. Put his paw on it, perhaps.

"That's not a good idea," Bryce said.

Rocket nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Even if it did something, there's no guarantee it would be safe. But I'd like to take samples for further tests."

"Did anyone bring any of that science stuff I've noticed being used in the compound?" En Dwi asked curiously.

"A lot of my equipment's too big and bulky to cart around. But I can collect samples." Rocket began to pull gloves on and took out some shears and containers.

"Just... be careful," Taneleer said quietly.

Rocket nodded. "No touching without protective equipment," he promised.

Bryce shifted position to be closer to the scanner. "If it picks up on anything, I want to be prepared."

"Good idea..." En Dwi said. Of course, he wasn't certain what he'd do in a situation like that, but still. Prepared.

"I am Groot."

Bryce nodded. "If need be, we could grab onto each other. It might not be enough to hold us all in place, but at least there'd be a good chance of us ending up in the same dimension." He paused, considering. "Lincoln and Valkyrie said the other version of Skye disappeared after they'd got her out of danger and treated her ankle. I wonder if there's something to that."

Taneleer had been listening while focusing on the flower, so it wasn't too surprising to En Dwi when his brother suddenly zoned out, a vacantly distant look in his eyes. When he finally snapped out of the trance, En Dwi asked, "Did you see anything useful?"

"Too much and not enough." Taneleer groaned, rubbing at his head.

"Can you tell me what you did see?" Bryce asked.

Taneleer swallowed and nodded his head slightly. "I saw various members of the family in various different locations that aren't here... but some of them acted oddly, so I think they may not be our family members..." he said. "I... the images went too quickly for me to get concrete information on where they were or what was going on. Except that I just have a feeling that... certain conditions had to take place? I don't know...."

Bryce nodded. "Then, if certain conditions need to be met, there was probably a reason for the merging with the other dimension. And a reason for it to disperse. And I think the reason for the merge to fade was the other Skye receiving aid."

Rocket had collected his samples by this point. "So, we could be looking at a repeat experience."

En Dwi grinned. "I'd bet on it!" He slanted his head thoughtfully. "The only question is... why now? Why is the barrier between dimensions suddenly thinner?"

"Maybe it's not something we've done," Rocket suggested. "Maybe it's something done in the other dimension."

"That... that's actually a bit scary..." En Dwi admitted. "If something someone in another dimension does can affect us, no matter what we do...."

"I'm going to run some tests on these displaced samples when we get back to the compound," Rocket said. "See what they can tell me."

"I'm sure you'll have help," Bryce murmured, thinking of the other scientists.

"It will not tell you anything. Not yet." Taneleer was cryptic. His ability hadn't told him a lot, but he did know that much.

Rocket shrugged. "Even so, I plan to keep and test the samples."

Taneleer nodded. "It might be useful at some point."

"Is there anything else any of you would like to look at? To explore?" Bryce looked at each of them.

En Dwi glanced around. "I don't believe so. We should head back so Rocket can begin his tests."

Taneleer nodded. He didn't want to say anything, but his ability had taken a lot out of him and what he'd seen was worrying enough that he didn't want to stay. He might see something else worse.

Bryce noticed the look on Taneleer's face and moved a bit closer to him. "We have snacks and drinks with us. So long as we avoid touching anything that's displaced, we can pause to eat," he suggested.

"Maybe... could we move a little further from here?" Taneleer asked.

"Of course," Bryce replied.

"Do you want to write down what you saw?" Rocket asked Taneleer. "It might help to get it out of your head. Or you can tell us exactly, of course."

"I will write it. I am not certain I could find the words to speak it..." Taneleer admitted.

As they settled at a distance from the area, Rocket passed Taneleer a pad and pencil. Then, he and Bryce began sharing out the food.

Taneleer, not able to explain with words, began to draw pictures of what he had seen. While it was clear a large portion of what he had seen was not in their own dimension, there was enough familiar for them to take note of what was.

Bryce and Rocket paid more attention to what Taneleer was drawing than to the food, discussing with each other what seemed familiar...and what was alien to them.

En Dwi frowned as he noted one of the drawings. "You drew Yondu's brat and I... but we both look different... and what is this creature?" He looked at another drawing. "And is this not the Falcon’s blind son? But who is this very large man holding him?"

"There are other people in the drawing I don't recognize," Bryce said. "But other members of the family might know who they are."

"If they are from this dimension..." Taneleer added.

"It looks as if some of these are in relationships less than familial," Rocket said.

"Or a lot more than familial... depending on your view..." En Dwi muttered.

Rocket nodded and then peered at one of the other drawings. "Is that Steve and Brock?"

"Brock was one of Fury's sons? If so, I believe that is them..." En Dwi agreed.

"Well, that certainly doesn't look like they're uncle and nephew." Rocket continued studying the drawings. "Maybe we'd better not show this to certain family members."

"Yeeaaah... good point." En Dwi shook his head. "Even if they aren't related by actual blood, they probably wouldn't be happy with the implications."

"I wonder if it might be possible to open lines of communication to these other dimensions," Bryce commented. "It could perhaps be useful knowledge."

"I suspect if we learn why we are suddenly interacting with them, we could learn to communicate through them. Perhaps the wizards could do something, at least." Taneleer didn't bother pointing out that Stephen, Mordo and Wong featured prominently in some of his drawings with portals.

"Maybe we should talk to the wizards about it first, since they'd be more likely to be familiar with the concept," Rocket stated.

"I am Groot."

Rocket nodded. "And be less likely to be so freaked out by the implications of those drawings. Well, probably."

"Yes..." Taneleer snorted. "As their familial relationship seems close, but not as dependent or patriarchal, you are likely right about them handling it better."

"When we return to the compound, I will ask them to meet us," Bryce said. Glancing at En Dwi, he added, "And then, if you still wish to have some time to gamble in a way that won't lose you too much, we can look at that."

"Part of the fun is the risk!" En Dwi pouted, but didn't argue further.

Taneleer put his drawings into his pack. "I am ready...."

Bryce nodded and stood up.

Rocket climbed to his feet and adjusted his pack. "While you're going through the drawings, I'll start running those tests on these samples."

Taneleer nodded and shouldered his pack. Soon, they were all trekking back to the compound.

As soon as they entered the compound, Rocket took his samples to the labs, while Bryce addressed Taneleer. "Would you like to be included in the meeting? Or would you rather I just show them the drawings without you needing to be present?"

"I will come with you to answer questions, if they have them," Taneleer stated.

Bryce nodded. "If you feel uncomfortable or in any way distressed, let me know." He then addressed the AI. "Friday, will you ask Mordo, Wong and Stephen to meet us, please?"

"Of course," Friday responded, before relaying the request to the sorcerers.

Stephen had been assisting Bruce in updating the family's medical records when Friday asked him to meet the others. Excusing himself from Bruce, he went to find the others.

It didn't take Mordo and Wong long to meet up with them. Asking them to join him in one of the offices, Bryce headed there and waited until they were in relative privacy to explain the situation and show Taneleer's drawings.

Stephen looked at the photos, comparing them all. "So...it seems like our counterparts know a bit about the dimensions..." he said quietly. "How much do we know? Or is all the information in that forbidden book?"

"There is an infinite number of potential universes. Potential possibilities," Mordo explained. "Every time you make a choice, there are more universes that branch off. For example, there likely exists a dimension where you never became the Sorcerer Supreme."

"Considering the amount, I suspect that this thinning between the dimensions is only happening with certain ones," Wong said. "Otherwise, we would be seeing more mergers and more often."

"The question then, is what has caused a thinning between our universe and the others...?" Stephen said thoughtfully.

"I think we do need more information to work with," Mordo said. He looked at Bryce. "You said that Rocket had collected samples from the displaced plants?"

Bryce nodded. "He's taken them to the lab and is running tests on them."

"Well, hopefully they can tell us something..." Stephen said distractedly, staring at one of the drawings with a tiny frown.

"What is it?" Wong asked his brother.

"Does this look familiar?" he asked pointing to the drawing of a huge purple being wearing a glove. He pointed to one of the gems in the glove.

Mordo and Wong both peered at the drawing before Mordo said, in quiet, hushed tones, "That's the time stone."

"Do any of you recognize the other stones? I... can't help thinking this is behind it all." Stephen's voice was subdued.

"These are the other stones that were part of the creation of the universe and all life in it, according to our histories," Wong said.

"There are very few beings who would be able to master all six of them without it causing extreme damage to the user," Mordo added.

"So... maybe whoever this... giant... is... caused the dimension bleeds?" Stephen theorized.

"Do you know how to open gates into other dimensions?" Bryce asked.

"Yes, but it's something we don't normally do," Mordo said. "It is dangerous."

"I've only tried it once. The one time where Peter Quill saw his 'twin' being chased by a dinosaur," Stephen added.

"Was that his twin?" Bryce pointed to the drawing of Quill with the other version of En Dwi.

"I don't know... he didn't mention another person being with the twin when he saw them and I didn't see, so I have no basis for comparison..." Stephen shrugged.

"Maybe we could try and figure out how many dimensions have been portrayed here," Mordo suggested. "That might help give us an idea of how many might be affected."

"We will possibly need the whole family involved, then. Just in case," Taneleer suggested.

"Then we should probably call a family meeting," Wong commented.

"Right now?" Stephen asked.

"Now's as good a time as any," Mordo replied.

Taneleer sighed. "Friday. Could you please have the family congregate in the main family room?" he asked.

"Of course," the AI replied, proceeding to do so.

Taneleer headed to the family meeting room, noting the others followed him. Soon, everyone was gathered around, looking curiously at the wizards, Bryce and himself. He didn't know how to start explaining, though.

Taking a step forward, Bryce quickly explained the situation as he had done to the wizards, then passed the drawing around so that the family members could take a look.

"What are we looking at?" Jessica asked, with a hint of confusion, but paying close attention to the details. It was what made her a good detective, after all. Close attention and questioning.

"We thought that we might recognize some of the people in these drawings, if there are versions of them that exist here in our world," Mordo explained.

Karen moved closer to Foggy with the drawing she now held. "I... isn't this Wilson Fisk?" she asked faintly. It was blatantly obvious in the drawing the type of relationship occurring in the drawing. It was a bit disconcerting to see her brother in such a position with a sworn enemy. She made sure to keep the drawing out of Claire's view.

"It looks like there are a lot of differences in some of these dimensions," Bryce said.

"I think that might be an understatement," Steve said faintly, having caught a glimpse of himself in the drawing.

"That... that's definitely Wilson Fisk..." Foggy responded faintly.

"Things are definitely different..." Brock swallowed hard, blushing at the drawing he'd noticed.

Grant was looking at a few drawings where it was obvious his father hadn't saved him... one where he held a dying Kara in his arms. "I'm glad I'm not in the alternate dimensions...."

Coulson wrapped an arm around Grant's shoulders, hugging him close. "So am I," he said, with feeling.

Grant leaned against his father, noting Kara had a pensive look on her face and was pressing against her own father.

Fury didn't hesitate, gathering Kara onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Nothing like that has happened to you," he murmured softly. "You're safe and here. With your family."

Kara nodded, just continuing to cuddle.

Bobbi grimaced. "So... what is the point of us seeing all this? Just so we know there are alternate versions of ourselves leading different lives? What are we supposed to do with this information?"

"It's obvious some of the other dimensions have been bleeding through to this one," Mordo explained.

"Rocket is running tests on the plants that were displaced, in the hopes that they might be able to tell us something," Bryce added.

"This figure seems particularly relevant, with the glove and those stones." Sam pointed at the drawing. "Does anyone know who it is?"

Gamora moved forward, a worried, almost frightened look on her face. "That was my father... that is Thanos."

Coulson reached his other hand towards Gamora, gently squeezing her arm. "And the stones in that glove?"

"They are the ones responsible for creating the universe," Wong replied soberly. "It seems clear that he was able to gather them all together in one dimension."

"The results from that could be what are echoing through to our dimension," Mordo said.

"What is weakening the barriers between the dimensions," Stephen added.

"Can you get in contact with anyone from one of the other dimensions?" Fury asked.

"It might be possible," Mordo allowed. "But to be able to do safely, we'll have to go back to the Sanctum and study the records of previous attempts. It could take a while."

"It's possible to open a portal. That much we know. I did it following the instructions of that book..." Stephen glanced at Peter Quill, before looking at Mordo and Wong. He'd got into a lot of trouble when he'd done that.

Mordo nodded. "But we don't want to risk opening a portal without proper preparation. If the barriers are already weakened, it could make them worse."

Stephen nodded. "Do you think...?" he asked warily. If his actions had helped weaken the barriers....

"One instance is unlikely to cause much damage," Wong commented, his tone reassuring.

"That's good, then. I would like to study the tome... if that is acceptable." Stephen didn't order. This was something Wong was in charge of.

Wong nodded. "The only stipulation is that we try out any spells together."

"Of course," Stephen nodded.

The rest of the family just continued to look at the drawings, not sure what to do and feeling useless.

Steve cleared his throat. "It looks very much like the people, the versions of us anyway, in this particular area belong to one dimension." He pointed to the drawings of those in clearly romantic or sexual relationships. "They seem to make up a majority, so if there's a way of choosing a dimension to reach out to, perhaps it should be them."

"If we are able to choose which dimensions to look for," Tony said.

"We can at least see if it's possible to," Mordo said.

"So, what now?" Bucky asked, determined to ignore the awkwardness some of the drawings had caused.

"Have there been any other anomalies noticed by the AIs?" Mordo asked Tony.

"Girls? You notice anything else recently?" Tony asked Veronica and Friday, as he knew they were helping each other with the task.

"No, sir. There have been no new anomalies within range of the compound," Veronica stated. "I am widening the search, though."

"Perhaps it's worth trying at the location of the tower," Wong suggested. "In other dimensions, it might still be in use by the Avengers and SHIELD."

"I will start there and expand further as needed," Veronica agreed.

"In the meantime, I don't think there's much else that we can do. Except to report any other strange occurrences," Mordo said. "Whether it's immediately obvious they're because of other dimensions or not."

"Well... in that case, consider us all informed. We'll keep our eyes and ears open and if anything happens, let everyone else know," Bucky said.

"I think that's about all we can do, at the moment," Bryce said.

With that, everyone began to wander off. Back to their jobs, schooling, or whatever they had been doing prior.

Bryce looked at Taneleer. "Is there anything you want to do before we rejoin the others?"

"No. I have need of a drink..." Taneleer sighed wearily, rubbing his forehead.

Bryce nodded in understanding. "Do you have pain? Or is it merely discomfort?" he asked, standing up.

"Discomfort currently, but I will need to relax or it will turn to pain." Taneleer was honest.

"If you'd like, we can retire to my room for a bit and you can relax there," Bryce offered.

"Thank you, but I think I will just lay down in my own room. I appreciate the sentiment, though." Taneleer smiled, before moving toward his own room.

"If you need me, or need anything, you know where to reach me," Bryce said, before Taneleer left. Then, he checked with Friday and went to check on En Dwi.

En Dwi hadn't taken long to find an online gaming site. He was in the middle of a low-stakes game of Poker when Bryce located him. He was learning the game, so made certain not to bet much.

Bryce walked over to the other man. "The family meeting's finished. It might be a bit late to go out today, but if you're interested, we could arrange something for tomorrow," he offered.

"That would be good. I still have time to learn the game..." En Dwi commented.

Bryce nodded. "If you tell me what sort of places you're used to, I can make a list of ones that are similar in this realm," he offered.

"It isn't so much the place..." En Dwi shrugged. "As long as it's interesting."

"I'm sure we can manage that," Bryce commented.

"If you have some suggestions, I'm not against hearing them..." En Dwi smiled.

"Well, there are a couple that are nearby and easy to vet." Bryce began to explain the places.

"Is there a reason we can't just go where we want? Why must a place be 'vetted'? I have traveled all over the galaxy and am quite capable of taking care of myself." En Dwi frowned.

"There are a lot of enemies to the people here," Bryce explained. "We're doing our best to keep everyone here safe."

"Well, I doubt I'm in much danger, but if it makes things easier for everyone else, I'll go along with it," En Dwi said.

"Thank you," Bryce said. "I think this place might be the best one for us to try." He told En Dwi the name of the place.

"Yeah. Okay. Can't hurt to try a variety..." En Dwi nodded.

"Would you like to invite anyone else?" Bryce asked.

"Not in particular. Unless they are interested in the casinos. Gambling is usually a solitary venture if you are taking it seriously." En Dwi shrugged.

Bryce nodded. "In the morning, then, we can leave after breakfast."

"That sounds like a perfect plan," En Dwi agreed.

"I think the evening meal will be ready soon," Bryce said. "We can join the rest of the family. Or just eat with Rocket, Groot and Taneleer if you'd prefer."

"I'm fine with eating with everyone. Rocket might have dome information to share. Or Taneleer might have some questions." En Dwi nodded.

"Then, as soon as you're ready, we can go and join them," Bryce said.

"No better time than the present," En Dwi smiled.

"Very well." Bryce stood and waited for En Dwi to join him.

En Dwi followed Bryce into the dining room, glancing around at everyone present.

Pretty much all of the family and visiting family members had joined in the dining room. Rocket and Groot had made sure to save enough seats for their little family unit.

Taneleer moved to sit next to Rocket and Groot. It wasn't much later before En Dwi and Bryce joined them.